‘Samudrayan Project’

Current Context: The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the ‘Samudrayan project’.

• The ‘Samudrayan project’ is India’s First Manned Ocean Mission.
• It was launched at the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.
• It aims to have deep underwater manned vehicles to perform subsea activities.
• Due to this mission and technology, India has joined an elite club of nations like the USA, Russia, Japan, France, and China. Now, India is also among these nations in having underwater vehicles.
• The deepwater manned submersible is codenamed as the ‘MATSYA 6000’.
• The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has developed the deepwater manned vehicle.
• The deepwater manned vehicle will help to perform exploration of the non-living resources like polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides, and cobalt crusts, which are located at a depth of about 1000 and 5500 meters.

Question: 

Q.1 Who among the following launched the ‘Samudrayan project’ which is the India’s First Manned Ocean Mission?
a. Sarbanada Sonowal
b. Rajnath Singh
c. Dr Jitendra Singh
d. Mansukh Mandaviya